Words Kimi Rocha
Permit me to say that in the area of computer hardware (and software), I had a very privileged childhood. Lucky me -
my dad supplied computers even before the beginnings of PCs-in-the-household demands were surging, so of course we had
the most recent of everything.
While my friends were accustomed only to the idea that a computer ought to be connected with a wire to the back of the
television for the sole purpose of shooting at space monsters/robots (or whatever they were) from a rocket of some sort,
in our household we were already typing away on WordStar and planning strategies for Digdug.
Even if I was too young then to understand how to work a computer, it didn't mean it wasn't interesting to me, especially
since it was a million light years away from the typewriter we had (given to my sister by Santa Claus, no less). At certain
times I would be permanently stationed at a chair in front of the monitor, next to the printer, watching my older sister print
a copy of some report for some Science class. I don't know why, but when our dot-matrix printer started to go iiiiiiiiinnngggkkkkk,
I swear, my eyes were transfixed on the (then) speed machine and would dart from right to left. Mesmerized, I was (embarrassingly)
Homer Simpson: "Hmmm! Faaaast!"
Later, we got another printer. It was a line printer this time, but it was soon replaced by an excellent, humming laser printer.
Being then rather "spoiled" by the newest in computer technology, I really couldn't care less about it, considering it was a relatively
technologically advanced gizmo at the time. I only realized how remarkable it was having this printer when one time, during finals
week back in my freshman year, a bespectacled braces-wearing classmate, who was a bit in love with me and much more in love with
computers, was looking over a term paper I was ready to submit. He gazed up at me with a look of pure amazement and said: "Oooh?
Laser printer." I think that remark was really to praise the printer rather than to charm me.
I can't tell you how much I owe my life (and passing grades!) to my printers - back then I was a good student but a better crammer.
I gave better meaning to submitting papers "at the last minute." (I would literally have my hands on the newly printed-out paper,
and when the last would flit out I would sprint to the car, and head to school.) Had I been born even ten years earlier I would've
rather cleaned up after cows than slave away in front of a typewriter (even if it was one from Santa), getting my fingers jammed
between keys, typing on a sheet of paper stiff with Liquid Paper. Especially now, being in the "written word" business, I've become
more appreciative of the technology employed in the name of speed and quality in my printing partner.
I'm no Jane Bond, so I'm quite happy with my pretty average inkjet. It produces excellent print, and I've gotten used to the whole
computer table shaking when printing, but it's slower than my laser printer and a little noisy. Of course, it's decibels away from my
old dot-matrix and eons away in quality, so who am I to complain? I don't need extra printing speed as much anymore (no more grades
to keep up and I'm not presently involved in any urgent spy missions) but since this is an article in a magazine devoted to cutting-edge
technology - especially speed devils of all kinds - I've rounded up several of the fastest printers on earth.
